


Unheard

by BlueRobinWrites



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Angst, End of CoE, F/M, Longing, Pre-Lethal White, The Voicemail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23440300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRobinWrites/pseuds/BlueRobinWrites
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43





	Unheard

Her phone rings seven times before her voicemail greeting plays, “You’ve reached Robin Ellacott. I’m not available at the moment. Please leave a detailed message and I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Thanks!”

He listens to her voice, so soft and kind, the voice that he now understands is the only sound he wants to hear, and he tries to swallow past the lump in his throat. Emotion choking him, caused by the mere sound of her voice in his ear.

The beep sounds shrilly in his ear. 

He clears his throat.

The lump refuses to budge.

“Robin, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I know why you did it and I should have gone with you. I’m sorry I didn’t. I’m sorry I must have made you feel you couldn’t talk to me about it. I’ve made a mess of things with you. And I....I just needed to keep you safe.”

His voice cracks, necessitating another quick clearing of his throat. 

“I got him. It was Laing.” Another pause, “Fuck...I wish you’d picked up...so I could tell you all the details. There’s no one else I want to tell.”

He breaks off, “Fuck. Just you. Only you.”

He wishes for a cigarette, but continues on instead. “Listen, you don’t have to marry him Ellacott. You don’t.” He can hear the desperation coating these words. 

He plunges on, “Please. Come back to work. I’ll help you find a flat. I...Just...please don’t stay away. And please don’t marry him. He doesn’t...” He sniffs, little good it does him, with his nose broken as it is, but the pain clears his head a bit and he clears his throat again.

“He doesn’t fucking appreciate you,” he grinds out, teeth gritted tightly, “Not like I do. Not like I do...Jesus...Ellacott, I need you. Please come back.”

His voice cracks again, turning the last few words to a whisper and he chokes, again, on the lump that’s threatening to burst into sobs, “I’m so sorry,” he barely gets out, uttered softly, through near sobs. 

He wipes his eyes and gathers himself again, steels himself to respect her boundaries. It’ll hurt, but it’s the least he can do after he fucked this up so badly.

“I’m...here, if you ever need me. And you don’t have to call me back. I won’t call again. I won’t bother you. But I’m here. Waiting. For you. Just...Call me.”

He’s run out of words and is perilously close to begging. He’d beg if he thought it’d help, but instea, he lowers the phone and stares at it...his thumb pressing the red end button, stopping the call.

His head droops, chin close to his chest, arms loose at his sides, tears welling, breathing ragged.

He thumbs the tears gathering away, gently, so as not to aggravate his broken nose.

Drops his phone in his shirt pocket, unwilling to miss her call, if she does call back.

Rummages in his coat pockets for his fags and matches.

Lights up.

Inhales.

Exhales.

Waits.


End file.
